Life with a Baby: Weeks 1+2

October 4, 2014Angela (Oh She Glows)

by Angela (Oh She Glows) on October 4, 2014

It probably sounds silly, but I already feel nostalgic for the passing days of this super sweet newborn stage. Everyone is warning me about how fast the newborn stage goes and I want to cry when I think about how quickly the days are flying by. There’s just something incredibly beautiful about a tiny human being entirely dependent on their parents. I’m trying to soak up and imprint into memory every snuggle, kiss, silly face, and squeak. I had a moment the other day when I had to pack away a few newborn sleepers that are too small for Adriana now. Sniff.

It’s hard being a new mom though. Shocker, I know. And so humbling. Life is crazier than ever and some days I feel like nothing more than a weepy milk maid, but I’ve never felt so very lucky and happy at the same time. This new role is a bit like my experience with labour – I didn’t really know how crazy hard it would be until I was in the thick of it (which is probably a good thing).

The first week was so, so hard. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so much self-doubt about everything all at once. There is so much to learn right off the bat. And the hormones…oh my gosh. I would go from feeling elated on a total high to feeling completely overwhelmed. I wasn’t prepared for the challenges of breastfeeding, for starters. Sure, I watched lots of videos and we met with our lactation consultant before I delivered, but my experience was nothing like the happy breastfeeding moms I saw in the videos. They made it look so effortless with their babies demonstrating picture perfect latches, and the moms changing up positions like a pro. Adriana didn’t latch for the first day at all, and not much at all the second day, despite a team of us in the hospital trying to make it happen. I felt like I was failing at something I wanted to happen so badly. I could see her getting more and more frustrated with each attempt at feeding and I knew if I didn’t make it happen soon she would be losing more weight. I felt defeated. Adriana hadn’t developed her sucking reflex yet, so she tended to “chomp” on my nipple. My nipples were raw for the first several days, despite using every nipple cream under the sun. Luckily, our lactation consultant met with us the first night we got home from the hospital and she suggested that we try the side-lying position in bed or on the couch. Well, it was sooo much easier in this position. Adriana latched so much easier. Day by day, things started to fall into place after that. Many times I wanted to give up, but I thought of you all saying to give breastfeeding two weeks (or 6 weeks or 2 months!), so I kept at it. Here we are two weeks later and I’m happy to say that breastfeeding is coming along great. I feel like we’ve gotten over the most difficult part now. We’re still trying to master the seated positions, but I’m confident that we will get it in time. Lately, we’ve been logging around 5 hours per day of breastfeeding. I had no idea it would take up this much time (it feels like a full time job!), but I’m sure some day in the not so distant future I’ll be longing for this precious bonding time again. My advice is don’t lose hope or feel like you are alone if you are struggling with breastfeeding because you certainly aren’t the only one. Knowing that other moms struggled during the early days really helped reassure me that we could work past it too. I recommend finding a good lactation consultant and checking out the breastfeeding website called Kelly Mom.

Because we struggled with feeding during the first several days, our lactation consultant and nurses recommended that we write down all of Adriana’s feedings to keep track of things until she got the hang of feeding. For a few days we were writing everything on a pen and paper which wasn’t overly convenient and we found ourselves forgetting to log overnight. So I decided to search for an app and came across the free Baby Tracker App. Well, it has simplified things so much. You can track feedings (the time, which boob you started on, and how long per side), diaper changes, sleep, pumping, and more. There is a detail list view of the entire day so you can easily see the whole day at a glance. Genius!! I can’t say enough good things about this app! I don’t plan on tracking forever (I’ve already stopped tracking diaper changes since everything is on track), but I think it can be very helpful in the early stages for a new mom. A reader also said it’s a great way to determine when they are going through a growth spurt (you can compare total daily feeding time across days and easily spot when there is a spike).

It’s true what our pediatrician told us – days 4 and 5 were the hardest. I’m so glad she told us this at our first appointment because we were ready for it. I read that newborns go through their first growth spurt shortly after coming home from the hospital and I think Adriana did too. She was so fussy for a few days and some nights she cluster fed until 4:30am (she was basically feeding every 30 minutes for hours on end). I was trying to get by on 1-2 hours of sleep. But after those few hard days things got so much better. The past several nights I’ve been getting a total of 5-6 hours of (broken up) sleep and I feel so much more like myself. I’m surprised by how little sleep I can function on. The body really does adapt.

Side note: This swaddleme sleeper is a game changer. When we started putting this on her before bed at night she went from sleeping 30-60 minute intervals to 2-3 hour stretches. We were swaddling her previously with a normal swaddle blanket, but she would always wiggle it off and then wake up because she got cold. The Velcro swaddlers are where it’s at.

Week 2…was sooo much better! Honestly, it’s like night and day. We both feel so much more confident as parents this past week.

I’m enjoying…journaling, both written and with photographs. I bought this Mom’s One Line a Day book to record memories. The first 3 days it was blank and I started to question whether I could keep up with it! But I got caught up and I’m really enjoying writing a memory down from each day. It will be a miracle if I can do it for 5 years, especially if we have another baby in a couple years. But here’s hoping I can at least do the first year?

Our cat Sketchie…isn’t overly happy that there is a new creature in the house that is louder, poopier, needier, and more dramatic than he is. At first he was terrified of Adriana, but he has warmed up to her now and likes to be in the same room as us again. We’ve been trying to give him lots of affection so he doesn’t feel left out. I think he’s starting to come around slowly but surely.

The first time I laughed after labour…was when I was handed my first “monster pad” after delivery. They are HUGE! I was expecting a slightly bigger version of an overnight pad, but oh no. God no. These monster pads are about 2 feet long and 3/4 of a foot wide. Friggin hilarious. The nurse said, “Don’t you have any underwear bigger than those??” Tip: When they say bring huge granny panties, they mean it! Then the nurse stuck a frozen padsicle (just pads soaked in witch hazel and frozen) on top of the monster pad and I waddled to my room.

I’ve never been so…thirsty!!! I honestly can’t get enough fluids into me. I’m also eating like crazy. Two breakfasts, two lunches…you get the idea. This mama needs her fuel!

My recovery has been…slower than I would’ve hoped. I honestly didn’t expect to be this sore after birth (not sure why!). I think the side-lying breastfeeding position has been great for my recovery though because it’s forced me to be completely off my feet for hours each day. Now that I’m at the 2 week mark, I am seeing a big improvement. I’m no longer waddling around like I have a pole shoved up my butt (lol) and I’m feeling more like myself each day. Time heals all wounds!

To pump or not to pump…I wasn’t sure if I would need a breast pump right away, but I ended up having to buy one almost immediately since Adriana wasn’t latching on very well and my breasts become engorged and painful when my milk came in. Oye. The pump wasn’t as scary as I thought though and I was so happy to have some relief.

I’m thankful for…a healthy baby. I’m so grateful she is doing well. Also, I’m thankful for Eric and his general awesomeness. He’s a great dad and has taken such an active role in her care.

Our second pediatrician visit…We met with our pediatrician for the second appointment and I was thrilled to find out that Adriana had already surpassed her birth weight. She is gaining on average 45 grams per day (the doctor said 15-30 grams a day is great) which made this new nursing mama very happy to see that we are on track. Her next appointment is at the 1 month mark.

Nothing beats a…hot shower in the morning. Hot showers have taken on a whole new meaning of joy in my life!!

Nicknames…Adriana’s current nickname is “monkey” or “milk monster”

Adriana lights up when… I sing her “Your Song” – the one we played to her while she was in my belly (we love the Ellie Goulding version). She also loves Eric playing the guitar for her. She also lights up after letting out some gas (lol) and loves to crack a silly smile! Often when she hears my voice she starts making eating motions with her mouth. She sure knows who her milk maid is!

V.I.P’s…We were all spoiled to have “Mimi” (my mom) here for a full week. My stepdad (“Papa”) came later in the week too. Not going to lie, I was so bummed when they went back home to Alberta. Adriana also got to meet her “Babcha” “Babcia” and “Granddad” (Eric’s mom and dad), “Gigi” (my grandma), second cousins, great aunts, aunts, uncles, and more.

She made it through her first…newborn photo shoot! It was a long shoot – about 3.5 hours and I had to feed her multiple times during it to keep her nice and sleepy. She also pooped all over her mom and dad, lol. We got some family photos (including some 3 generation photos with my mom). Here are a couple sneak peeks from behind the scenes…

Thank you for all your congrats and kind words on my birth announcement post! We are so thankful to have such an amazing group of people reading this blog.

If you’d like to see more pictures from the past two weeks, you can see them on my personal Instagram account: @theglowspot

Thank you for sharing your struggles with breastfeeding. I also experienced breastfeeding issues with my 1st, and I felt so alone and defeated. I’m happy to hear that you stuck with it and it’s now going well! Side note- I was also shocked about just how many hours in a day is spent feeding a newborn! It’s a full time job at the beginning! But sooner than later the feedings do get faster and more far between!
Are you going to share your labour/birth story? I would love to hear about it!

It’s a really isolating feeling at times, right? I’m glad you enjoyed this post. And yes, the feedings are non-stop at first. Thank goodness for technology. ;)
I have my birth story drafted, just need to edit it now.

Hi Michelle, probably Angie will have more time to post when she and baby get the knack of nursing sitting down (at the keyboard). There’s even an acronym for it: NAK (nursing at keyboard). It will happen!

At one point, with baby #2, I was typing, nursing, and half sharing the screen while my toddler watched a mickey mouse video and I finished up a document. It’s far from ideal. . . but there’s also pretty amazing what you can do.

Yes, it’s Polish :) My sister in law is Polish so that’s what they call grandma. She decided to stick with the name for all grandchildren to make it easier.
My draft of the birth story is done…just need to edit it.

A tip I have been given for those early weeks is to have a thermos with fennel tea near you. So you always have something warm to drink and the fennel reduces baby cramps and makes your milk sweeter and more appealing to the baby.

Good on you for keeping on with bfing. It is astonishing how much and how long a newborn wants to nurse. Right, Adriana clacking her lips is a first signal that she wants to nurse: sometimes babies want to nurse because it’s comforting to be attached to mama again. It doesn’t imply that milk production is too low. The great thing about a newborn nursing all the time is one’s breasts just after birth will branch out little trees of milk sacs and turn one into a super milk producing mama. I had problems with too-fast of letdown once #1 turned me into a mega milk maid. The combination of mega milk production and baby learning to get milk more efficiently means that soon you will be able to nurse slightly less often. Have you tried putting Eric on babywearing or napping on him while he watches TV on the couch just after feeding? He can change her. Even half an hour to yourself, he will love it, and you can do something just for you. Don’t worry if Adriana fusses. A baby, who is not hungry, in the arms of her loving father–she will be just fine. Besides they need some time together and Eric can keep learning how to settle her. He can give her a clean pinky with a trimmed nail, upside down so the nail plate is on the tongue. Being a parent to a newborn is a high-stress job. Every job needs breaks–especially high stress ones. If she cries or grizzles for twenty minutes she will have zero permanent damage, and you’ll keep yourself from burning out. Remember that parents on planes with low O2 put on their oxygen mask first–you have to take care of yourself to take care of your baby.

I’m glad everything seems to be going well for your new family! Bfing in the beginning is such a challenge. I remember wanting to cry every time my daughter latched because my nipples were so sore and raw. I really feel like things got easier around that 6 week mark. Maybe my nipples toughened up, lol. And yes, newborns nurse SO. FREAKING. MUCH! I used an app similar to the one you recommended, and found my daughter was nursing around 20+ times a day! I don’t know how I did it.

There is a great group called La Leche League that offers breast feeding support. I loved my group when I was in that phase. We would meet once a month and have a topic of the month to discuss, but would also have the opportunity to ask and have questions answered. There are leaders who have had training, but it is also from moms like me. VERY helpful to find a group of moms that are muddling through some of the same things. Good friendships made from that group! I would encourage you to see if there is one in your area. Breastfeeding is hard the pictures make it look rosie, and it will be, but it takes work to get there. Keep it up! You are doing a great job and being the best mom you can be to your LO!

I so remember those early breastfeeding days. My first didn’t want to latch them would fall asleep at the breast, taking 45 minutes for a full nursing session. My second latched perfectly right away but then did the chomping thing after a few days. It took me eight weeks to correct that! She also cluster fed but finally fell into a good rhythm. She’s two now and still actively nursing! The days go quickly and all you can do is take each moment as it comes. Being nostalgic already is so normal…I cried when I had to go from newborn diapers to a size one after two weeks! I also was very thirsty and ate constantly!

Thanks for all the tips! We’re not anywhere close to the family-planning stages, but it’s always great to have this kind of information logged away for when the time eventually comes. Not a lot of people like to talk about the difficulties during the first few weeks, so bravo to you for sharing this!

Okay, “monkey” or “milk monster” – those are super adorable nicknames Angela! I am so happy to hear that you and Adriana are doing great and that you are getting more sleep! Also happy to hear that Sketchie is adjusting to the newest member of your beautiful family. Gorgeous photo by the way – cannot wait to see more from the shoot :) It is wonderful to read about your first couple weeks home with your little one (I seriously cracked up learning about the GIANT hospital pad – things they don’t teach you in school about having kids.. something to look forward too, haha!). Sending love to you guys in these first few memorable weeks!

Your recovery sounds a lot like mine with Sophie. I was shocked too how bad I felt. I guess my focus had always been on carrying baby, then birthing baby, then taking care of baby that I never really thought “oh yeah, I’m going to need to recover too!” I remember having family over visiting and waddling around…trying to get up from the couch. So sore! Luckily with Ella it was MUCH better!!!

Congrats on sticking with breastfeeding. Try not to think of it as a commitment that you have to do for months and months…..that can get overwhelming on the hard days. But remind yourself that Adriana is getting the best one feed at time :) You are doing great!

So excited to see this post! My little boy will be four weeks old on Wednesday – the first two weeks were so hard! I definitely had the “baby blues” and was so overwhelmed. Who knew breastfeeding a newborn would be the most demanding job I’ve ever had?? So happy for you and hope things continue to go well!

Dear Angela, I have been following your blog now for a while (becoming interested in a vegan eating plan via my daughter who lives in Texas – I live in New Zealand) but have never commented. I just love your blog – everything about it. The lovely recipes, all the stories, your very helpful tips – and now your beautiful baby story. Yip, she’s Daddy’s girl, all right! I always say to my children (who now have their own littlies) when things are hard – remember they won’t be doing that when they’re 21! What a blessing to have a beautiful, healthy little newborn. I wish you all the very best for you and your lovely little family – Sketchie included!

Congratulations Angela! Not sure if you have heard of Dr. Jack Newman. He has a Breastfeeding Clinic in Toronto and has a great website on everything to do with nursing. I hope you will find it useful. Nursing is such a beautiful experience =0)
My son would hit his growth spurts every month (basically is month bday) and it would last for about 1 to 2 days!
Pumping can be an advantage. I would pump to produce more milk as I had my son via C-section at 37 weeks (took 4 days for my milk to come in) and he too didn’t have his sucking reflex. I would pump and My husband would be on bedtime duty with bath, bottle and bed for my son. 13 months later my husband is still on bedtime duty and my son loves to bond with his daddy ;0)
Looking forward to some more baby post and yummy recipes =0)

Thank you for sharing how HARD the first couple of weeks are! I had my baby by c section the same day and I can honestly say there is no way anyone can prepare you for the struggles of bringing a newborn home!

To me, the first six weeks are so hard but it gets so much better. You really fall into a rhythm. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend a breastfeeding pillow. Any will do but they are such a big help! I could only nurse my daughter side lying at first too, but around six weeks that position started to give her so much painful gas. Having the pillow, helped prop her up and really saved us.

It is funny that it is not spoken about more before babies arrive – just some of the adjustment new parents must face. The key really is having support, from family, your husband, and whoever else you can gather (lactation consultant, etc…)

By the way, try the Miracle Blanket. It is amazing for swaddling. My children slept so well in it in those first 3 months. It does not have velcro but holds them very snugly and I found it to be very soft and cozy for them.

Congrats on such a gorgeous and healthy girl!!! I am currently snuggling with my almost four month old and I just had to comment because I TOTALLY identified with this post and I wish I could have read it during my first few weeks with my little sweetie. Breastfeeding is SO hard and like you it completely caught me off guard. I had a lot of trouble at first and it really wasn’t until around 2 months that it became easy, And I couldn’t believe how time consuming it was! I felt like I spent the entire first month feeding. I thought I’d never leave the house. But at almost four months things are SO much easier! Feeding takes about 10 minutes now (every 3 hours or so) and is so so easy. I’m out for walks and grocery shopping and doing programs with my little guy all the time and it’s just so much fun. I often wanted to give up on breastfeeding but am so glad I didn’t! Congrats to you for sticking with it as well. Also, I am totally with you on constant eating! I call it first and second breakfast, lunch and dinner! I went to a wedding last weekend and ate dinner before leaving and then another full dinner when I got there!

hah I can totally relate to that…glad to know it gets easier! I find each day gets a bit better. It’s a learning process for both of us. I can only imagine what it’ll be like in a few months. Thanks for sharing your experience!

I gave birth to my daughter on September 16th, so I can defintely relate to a lot of what you’re saying – especially missing those sweet tiny newborn moments. It seems silly to feel nostalgic almost by the minute, but I can so relate – and this is my 2nd child so I know how fast the moments pass. Good luck to you and so happy you’re continuing to breastfeed.

I had my baby girl the day after you and I totally understand what you’re saying about being nostalgic. For the first week I cried every night knowing that she was going to get bigger and one day wouldn’t need me anymore! It’s gotten a bit easier, but man, parenthood really tugs at your heartstrings.

Thank you SO much for sharing your experience! I’m a longtime reader of your blog and while I love the recipes as much as ever, it is really refreshing to hear your perspective on pregnancy/birth/baby. I’m expecting my first, and your honesty and openness about your experience is really encouraging. I hope you continue to write about your journey as Adriana grows and as you grow as a mom!

Hang in there with the breastfeeding! I remember I was in the EXACT same place. My husband jokes that breastfeedin was more stressful on him than me because every time I had to nurse it was like “ok, bring me some pillows! No, not enough pillows! Oh, too much pillows! My back and shoulders are killing me from being hunched over! Water, I need my water cup!!!” Lol. It was so hard to find a comfortable position at first, and I remeber thinking, how is this little 8 lb baby feeling so heavy? Side laying is the best, it was a game changer for me too. One piece of advice my girlfriend told me was that it gets harder around 4-6 weeks (I can’t remember the exact time) and that is when a lot of people quit, because your nipples are so chafed and sore and haven’t hardened yet, and it’s still kind of painful – but just know it gets easier and hang in there. I would break into a sweat everytime I had to feed too, haha. But once I got into the groove, it was so easy, natural and beautiful – that bond you have with your baby is just so special.

omg hilarious!! I just read that to Eric and he died laughing. I think that one hit home… ;) and yes to the water cup!!!! Although mine is a mix of water and coconut water for an energy boost in the middle of the night (amazing).

The best advice I ever received regarding my sweet babe was to ‘expect the unexpected’, and how true this has been! I’m so glad things have been settling in for you guys. Babies are no joke! Just the best, most fun, most loveable, most exhausting roommates in the world ever. I wish I could bottle up those newborn snuggles :)

Breastfeeding was crazy hard for me, too. Congrats on getting the hang of it!

I remember when I had my first born, he was such an easy baby. He slept all the time and would rarely cry. Then my daughter came around, and she was the opposite!

For both babies, though, no matter what, I made sure to embrace not only the good moments, but the bad ones, too. Even when you’re super tired and worn out, it really is worth it. You’ll look back on those moments and smile, even if they weren’t happy moments at that time! :)

You are bringing back so many memories! My daughter was difficult to nurse, but we had it under control after 4 weeks. My twins were much harder but I’m proud to say I nursed them for a year. Kelly mom is an amazing site! I learned so much and loved the support!

A tip for pumping (if you still are) – olive oil is a great lubricant to put on before you pump. And it made me fee better putting something on that I would use in my every day cooking.

Well you’ve probably gathered that you’re not alone in struggling with breastfeeding!
I too felt I spent my entire days breastfeeding: my daughter nursed every 2 hours, night and day, for over 7 straight months. My husband gave me a great present: an ereader. My baby would often fall asleep on my lap nursing and I couldn’t really move or type, so I just learned to love the down time and enjoyed cuddling with her while reading on my e-reader (easier to hold and turn pages one-handed than a paper book).
Also, you might find that different positions work best at different ages. For the first 2 months, it was all about the football position for us or the reverse cradle during the day, since she couldn’t really support her head. When she got bigger and could hold up her head, the Madonna worked. Now at 11 months, the Madonna still works, or otherwise she sits on my lap or crawls on top of me and latches on in pretty much any position imaginable! Oh and the side-lying position of course has been my favorite at all ages.
Enjoy it! I found that once I gave into my new role as constant milk maid, or “human pacifier” as I often called it, I was able to relax and go with the flow. I just trusted that she needed the contact and nourishment and I savored the cuteness.
Sending you best wishes from Paris!

Oh she’s just gorgeous! Such beautiful pics of both of you! Glad to hear things are going better for you all. I love hearing all about your experiences w/ her – keep these posts coming! Congrats again!

I can’t believe it was almost a year ago that I was going through all of this for the first time too! I was surprised at how long, even with a good latch, breastfeeding was uncomfortable. I think it wasn’t until 2+ months that I was able to stand a hot shower spray or a “rough” towel on my breasts.

I’m glad BFing is going smoothly now! Investing in a pump was the best thing for me (well, especially since I was still in school when Nia was first born), so I would have been doomed without it. Having said that, it was also my nemesis a year ago when I was on campus for 12 hours two days a week and had to pump in the backseat of the car 4x those days (still have bad memories haha). I bet your photoshoot was amazing!! It’s one thing we missed out on and I definitely regret it! Next kid? haha

Adriana is so beautiful! :) Congrats on making it this far breastfeeding. I remember I had some struggles when I was breastfeeding my firstborn son. He wouldn’t latch at first, but the nurse who came to my home to check on me and baby managed to get him latched on. I was so thrilled! Man, my nipples were pretty sore though lol. After a while, he stopped latching again, but I soon figured out it was because I had overactive letdown (aka OALD). My milk was spraying into his mouth (try imagining drinking water from a powerful hose!) and that upset him. Thanks to the La Leche League site, I got this tip to spray my milk into a towel first and then latch him on. It worked! :)

Keep doing what you’re doing. Sounds like you’re doing great! I so remember the newborn feedings (growth spurts, cluster feedings, etc.) and it feels like all you’re doing is feeding the baby. Just remember, it is your baby signalling your body to make more milk, so keep feeding on demand and don’t watch the clock (something I learned and kept in mind when I had my second son). Once your baby gets older, the feedings will take less time because she will get more efficient at getting the milk out. You can also check out La Leche League website. If you run into any problems or have questions with breastfeeding, there might be a La Leche League leader you can contact.

I highly recommend mastering the side-lying position. That way you can rest while the baby eats and sleeps. Rest up and try to sleep when the baby sleeps. :) Oh, and if you haven’t already, try getting a good quality baby carrier (Ergo, Beco, Babyhawk, etc). Keeps your hands free, keeps your baby close to you and you can even nurse in them, too! Also, Eric can easily babywear as well.

I feel (felt?) your pain with the early breastfeeding struggles. My son was born underweight, and was too small and weak to latch well. I was trying to nurse, syringe-feeding and cup-feeding him, and then pumping every 3 hours around the clock. (Sometimes more often.) I was in so much pain, and then he developed thrush, and I nearly developed mastitis twice (raw garlic saved the day!), etc. SO glad to hear you kept at it! Now my son is 10 months old, and MOST days it’s effortless (although now he’s distracted and likes to grab my hair, earrings, shirt, etc. while we’re nursing and pop off to look around, lol).

I also understand the nostalgia for every day that goes by. I miss the days that are gone, and look forward to everything that hasn’t happened yet–all at the same time! Being a mom has turned me into the biggest sap ever.

Thanks for the updates. Oh, and I had your soul-soothing peanut stew for lunch. It’s awesome. Thanks for the updates and recipes! Enjoy that gorgeous girl!

I am so happy to hear that breastfeeding has caught on for both of you. Even when things go “perfectly” it isn’t always easy. Natural does not always equate to easy. And there are often problems at later points. Please be gentle with yourself. So many groups advocate positions so strongly – and certainly I have my own strong opinions – but no one is you, no one knows your child like you, and no one can live your life. Breastfeeding my son and daughter were just completely different things, and I still consider both scenarios “successes” – you are doing beautifully!

I found your site about 3 months ago and have been loving the recipes and your posts. This post is so true in every form of how you feel as New mom and all the highs and struggles and waddling around. Life of gets better and so ma mmHg y little things they do just surprise and delight your day. Your doing Awesome. Look forward to seeing more and how the house updates are doing.
Love the pumpkin pancakes best recipe in general I’ve found for no eggs and fluffyness. The pumpkin butter is awesome by itself or with them.
Thank you for all the recipes.
Emily

Hi Angela, I’ve been reading your blog off and on for over 5 years—in fact you met my friend Eliana when you came to Florida several years ago. Anyway, I just had my first baby at the beginning of September so I can completely empathize with your situation. Breastfeeding *is* hard but awesome at the same time. Such a conundrum! Times I would love nothing more than to do something for myself only there’s a baby looking for his next meal—already! (didn’t you just eat???) I’m starting week 5—it does get easier. There’s just always a different challenge to thrown your way.

I love how honest and beautiful this post is. I know I am slighlty in la la land when people tell us how hard it is going to be hard the 1st 2 weeks and how we are going to need help, and i keep thinking, it will be fine, we’ll be okay. but after reading your post I think I need to be a little more open to the reality of craziness that is coming our way lol. Even with the breast feeding, I have heard so many different stories of success, failure, sore nipples to no sore nipple lol It will be an wonderful journey whatever comes our way. 4 weeks i will be in the shoes of new mama and look forward to reading about your experiences, as I begin my journey through mine. Adriana is beyond beautiful, and I cant wait for what comes next. I also will be making your pumpkin bars this week and cannot wait, i’ve had an random sweet tooth but not overly sweet and i believe me and these pumpkin bars will make a great snacking couple :)

Angela, I neglected to mention in my first comment…if you don’t have one yet, get a My Brest Friend nursing pillow…they aren’t cheap but worth every penny! They help you position the baby more easily in seated positions and give your arms support as you hold the baby. Also gives back support. This pillow was a Godsend with my second baby. I still had to support my breast with one hand because she couldn’t maintain her latch if I didn’t but it enabled us to sit upright and use the football and cross-cradle hold. One more thing…I just made the pumpkin pie pecan butter from the cookbook and I had to hide it as I was tempted to eat the entire batch with a spoon!

Oh my gosh, Angela, reading your post brought back so many memories! From chewed on nipples that bled, to what I call “porno boobs”, to writing down when they eat/sleep/poop. Mine are now almost 10 and almost 5, so it does seem like a distant memory. Feel secure in the notion that there will be many memories ahead for you to soak up. I had almost forgotten the huge pads they give you after delivery – the ones they stick in the freezer! Thanks for bringing back those memories. :-)

Well done on getting through the first couple of weeks. The breastfeeding videos really irritated me because they made it look so easy, and I remember cussing them because it was not that [email protected]&!% easy! It does get better. Soooo much better. By month 4, we were goig everywhere, nursing in public (wih a cover) and taking 10 minutes or less. Those marathon cluster feeding sessions seem like a lifetime ago, and I’m missing them already even though my daughter just self-weaned about a month ago at 20 months. It’s crazy how it’s so hard to get everything figured out, but you miss it so much when it’s over!

One of the things that I remember being told on one of the really hard days was not to think about the long term, but to focus on the short term. There were days I couldn’t imagine how anyone made it to a year, much less beyond that. Those days, just focus in giving her that next meal. The hard part really isn’t hard for that long- 6 weeks in, I realized I had it waaaaaay easier than my formula feeding sister. Good luck, mama!

Your blog is just the best! I always read all of your posts and admit I skim through everyone elses. When you write you come from the heart and I love that about your posts. I’m so happy to hear that Adriana finally latched and everything is going smoothly now.

Your story reminds me of mine. Sore nipples, laying down while feeding, baby gaining weight quickly, being stressed out at the beginning and just being a bit over whelmed!

But time does go by so fast. Our little cutesy, kiwi, is already a year and a half. So sad! But we are enjoying every moment of course. I have two older ones as well. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us! You never disappoint. ♥

Angela! Adriana is gorgeous! She’s absolutely adorable and looks like a tiny little doll. Thanks for posting the Kelly Mom link – I’m almost 37 weeks pregnant and have just realized how close this baby is to coming to meet us! That link is totally perfect for the information I needed. Enjoy every minute :)

Yes! the SwaddleMe was such a game changer for us too! I was so thankful to find that! And she enjoyed that for many months! Later we transitioned into sleep sacks and eventually nothing but sleepers. But the swaddleme certainly helped control the startle reflext that kept waking our baby girl up. Glad you found it!

We also had tons of BF struggles – despite being born 7lbs, my daughter fell into the 2nd percentile for weight around week2-3 because of all our problems (tongue and lip tie for her which led to a double frenectomy, thrush twice, mastitis twice, not enough milk, etc, etc….Glad it is working out better for you now!

Angela– congrats!! Keep up with that side-lying positions. Don’t even stress about the other ones. Even now (14 months) that’s the only position I use. Breastfeeding is super hard, but that position makes it easier. So happy for you. Love your site.

I loved reading your update – it brought me right back. And you’re so right that it takes a surprisingly long time to physically recover from labour. The first time, it was many weeks before I started to feel normal; the second time, I felt great after a week. Listen to your body and take the time you need. :) Hope bf’ing continues to improve – I did it, but never really enjoyed it, though I’m glad I was able to nurse my babies.

You’re still glowing! :-)
Sorry to hear you had some troubles early on with breastfeeding, but I’m glad that things are getting better. Kudos for sticking with it! Life with a newborn is unpredictable (this I will learn VERY soon myself since I’m just 4 days from my due date). I hope you continue to enjoy your days with little Adriana. She’s beautiful and I’m sure you’re loving being a new mom.

I cannot believe how good you look! Thanks for sharing this! My little guy is 2 and a half now, and I’ll happily admit that I love this age so much more than the newborn age. I felt guilty talking about the struggles of those first weeks, the lack of sleep was so so hard. All the best and a big congrats!

I’m so glad you updated, lol. I’m just a few weeks ahead of you (my second daughter was born Sept. 3) and sometimes during the tough moments, it helps a little to know other new moms are feeling like weepy milk maids too!

I had more trouble breastfeeding this time than I did with my older daughter so I had to seek more information and help than before and in that process, I discovered a position I had never tried before, the “biological nursing” or “laidback” position. I really enjoyed that for a while, but now that we’ve got things a little more situated, other positions are becoming easier too. I really do agree, breastfeeding requires some time to really get the hang of. But it’s great once you do!

And I second the swaddleme blankets and baby tracker app! Life savers, I tell ya!

Breast feeding is hard. Cracked nipples, exhaustion. I remember my daughter would get so anxious, breast feed frantically, then throw up…the tanks were empty. Hang in. It is so worth it…breast feeding boosts immunity! Do you have a La Leche League meeting group in your area? support from other mons really an help. Check out the website too. Adriana is beautiful…so are you!

Congrats on being a new mom. It is certainly life changing, exhausting but the most amazing thing ever. I love your website and recipes and as a mom to a now-toddler (whew.. what happened, he was just a newborn) I use your recipes for dinner ideas and even though we are not vegan, we modify with what we have in the house. Your recipes and your blog are an inspiration. I wish you the best of everything being a new mom- take care of yourself and enjoy every second. It does go by so fast.

Your recipes are amazing, I love your blog. I have to be quick, but I wanted to share a tip that worked for me. One really helpful thing for me with breastfeeding sitting up was using a breastfriend pillow. My lactation consultant swore by them for smaller women. The boppy made things way harder for me. Good luck with it all! It took 6 weeks until it was a complete joy for me, but now it is!

Hi Angela,
Yes, the my Breast Friend pillow is what I used. It raised my baby up just to the right level for the perfect latch. another helpful piece of advice my lactation consultant gave me was when nursing felt really hard and painful, watch tv while nursing to shift my attention. I felt guilty not staring into baby eyes, but it helped immensely! Best of luck!

I third the suggestion for miracle blankets – for babies that like being swaddled but wiggle out it is a game changer! Plus, it was a little complicated to learn and I could use that as an excuse to make my husband put the babies back to sleep after they ate! We worked as a team – he would change them, I would feed them he would put them back in the crib. That way we were both up and no one felt abused and no one felt left out. It is so easy to feel like everything is on you and you are the only one working when you are the food source. I also like the coconut oil for pumping and I would put it on right after each feeding because we had problems with thrush and that seemed to prevent it in both of us. It also helped with dry cracking and chafing from leaking and being moist. I liked Milkies too – it looks weird but I made so much that when the babies would eat I would leak like a faucet on the other side – we could save 2-4 oz. each feed with the Milkies and use those later when I went back to work. That stuff is like liquid gold I hated wasting an ounce. Also, as a final thought – lots of people my age were never breastfed at all, doctors told our parents formula was best. We are all okay. It is so much more important to have a healthy happy mom than to have any particular other “best” baby thing – like breastfeeding. If something is stressing you out and “just too hard” and you really don’t want to do it any more – then stop whatever it is- and take care of yourself first so you can actually care for the baby. It’s not really going to make a huge difference in 20 years :)

Thank you for your comment Allison! It sounds like you guys operated the way we have been – I do input, Eric does output (not an exact science because I do diapers and whatnot when it’s just easier at times, but it’s a nice system that seems to be working well!)

Hi, I´m a portuguese fan and I discovered recently your blog!!! First of all congratulations!!! I have 2 boys. One has almost 3 years and the youngest has 4 months. I would like to tell you that I read an important book from Dr Harvey Karp – Happiest baby on the block, that helps you to make your baby sleeping better!! For me it was very important!!! I love your blog! Enjoy this beautiful time with your daughter!!!

OMG, those pads they give you are like a mattress between your legs, right?!
Also, I totally get what you mean about feeling nostalgic for “the early days”. I remember taking baths during those first two weeks of Eden’s life and sobbing because she was already so grown up. I calculated how many months it was until she left to go to college. I remember about 2 weeks in saying to Jason, “I want to have a baby again. I miss the baby stage.” to which he replied, “Sarah, we are in the baby stage. Right. Now.”

Anyway, I love your update. I cling onto every word. Those first few weeks/months are so so precious and I think you are doing a great job of savoring them. Love to you and your family.

its true! Enjoy these days (and all the rest!) I bawled like a baby today when I put jeans on my eight month old for the first time — my hub thought I was loosing my mind but it was hard to see that baby of mine looking more like a kid. When did that happen?? The first 3 months are the hardest, it gets easier. (BTW congratulations and best wishes!)

Congratulations. All of us In the net are thrilled for you, especially that breast feeding isn’t too difficult for you. You have brought us so much joy with your wonderful recipes; happiness should come back to you in spades!

Congrats on your new little sweet pea! Your story of the first couple weeks sounds so much like my own; my little boy arrived 9/28; the first week was so trying, just as you described. We’re coming to the end of our second week now and every day things are a little better. Not going to lie, I’m really looking forward to him sleeping more then 2-3 hrs at a time, especially during the night! Lack of sleep is probably the hardest part for me; that and not having my husband home with me all day; sometimes it feels like I’m doing this on my own. Someone has to go to work though! Looking forward reading more about you and your newbie’s journey together!

Congratulations!!! Such a beautiful girl and had to write to tell you to give your body time to heal! I was so desperate to get back in the gym and mistakenly attempted a jog when my daughter was 3 weeks – bad idea! Take the time to heal and you will be back to normal in no time :) it goes by so fast my daughter is now 17 months.

When I had my first child, I thought breastfeeding was going to come so natural. Ha! It did not! We both had to learn to do it:) Then, I realized with each child you still have to relearn the process and so does baby (even after baby #5). SO glad to hear you didn’t give up and its going well! The joys received from breastfeeding are definitely worth the struggle.

Oh, Angela! I was almost in tears while reading this post because it is all so overwhelming isn’t it? ESPECIALLY breastfeeding!!! People can tell you all day long how hard it is, but you’ll never truly understand until you’ve been there. I would cry and cry and cry because I was so freaking exhausted, and we had a preemie so I swear he ate even more than a term newborn. I felt exactly like a moo cow. I was always told to make it to the 6 week mark and things will change and, now that I’m 13 months into breastfeeding our son, that advice couldn’t have been more true! It’s almost like once you hit that 6 week mark it has become such a part of you and it is so natural. I’m *SO* glad I stuck with it, but I’m not going to lie. Breastfeeding and child birth are the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. I’m going to have to start weaning my son soon, and it breaks my heart to thing about…but then again I can’t wait to be done and have my body back either! Being a new parent is so, so, so, so, so, so difficult, but it’s so rewarding! I was also shocked by how sore I was. I couldn’t freakin’ believe it, and it easily lasted 12 weeks postpartum and my baby only weighed 5 lbs! Witch Hazel and hot baths are your friend! So happy for you and your so smart to log your memories daily. Time passes WAY too quickly!

Congratulations Angela and Hubby,
I ran across your site while looking for articles on how to roast pumpkin seeds. My granddaughter is here, and we are carving a pumpkin. I was intrigued when I saw your post journaling your pregnancy and the birth of your daughter. Much to my granddaughter’s chagrin, I spent a few minutes reading your posts and looking at photos of you and your beautiful daughter. It was so heartwarming to read about such a loving mother and father. As a retired teacher, my wish would be for all children to have such a caring family. Enjoy your baby, and I hope to check back on you as you journey through this new adventure called Motherhood.

Haha, the ‘milk maid’ description seems apt, and was also very funny.. Wow, I’m impressed by how much hard work goes into taking care of a newborn! It looks like you’re doing great, Angela, good luck!! :)

Thank you for sharing your experiences with your pregnancy and beautiful new baby girl with us!
I’m due on April 28th of next year and despite the fact that I am not having an amazingly glowing pregnancy I am very, very excited!
I do have a question for you if you have a minute…it’s about your cat.
Have you had very many problems with the cat since the baby?
I’m terrified that it’s not going to be an easy adjustment and have been advised to find my cat another loving home.
I can’t get rid of my first baby!!
Most of the concern would be from diseases and cat litter and blah blah blah. I can’t read enough about it.
Since I trust your food guru-ness, I thought I’d ask you for your compassionately kitten – tastic opinion.
Thank youuu!! ♡♡

Hey Stephanie,
Congrats on your pregnancy!
Sketchie has adapted fairly well to the new baby. The first couple days he was scared of her and wouldn’t go near her at all (he kept his distance), but he seems fine now and even sleeps on our bed again with us. hah. I think like anything it takes time and it’s an adjustment. We’ve made sure to give Sketchie extra affection so he doesn’t feel left out. I think that has helped…of course it’s hard to know what is going through their mind!

You are doing FANTASTIC! It’s always rough at the beginning, but over time you two will fall right into a routine. My little guy is 11 months old and he is becoming more independent (walking, playing, babbling) so our feedings are less and less. He bf’s mostly before naps, at night. I could feel one day when my breasts were engorged because he wasn’t nursing as much that he’s slowly slipping away from me and his baby days are coming to a close. Enjoy it while you can!

I am so happy for all of you. A happy, healthy baby is such a blessing! Hopefully you are all getting enough rest, good food and laughter! You’ll need it :-) And, just so you know, this next year you will often feel so confused, frustrated and overwhelmed. It’s okay- we all felt that way. It will more than balance out at each little milestone. You’re an awesome mama, I’m sure!

I just had to cry reading this. What a trooper you are and still maintaining your hilarious sense of humor. I never had children; but reading your comments, I feel firsthand what it’s like. Not all roses and daisies, and yet…well, roses and daisies!

Thank you, Angela, for including and keeping us up-to-date. All the best to you, Eric, Adriana, and Sketchie!

What a great, honest post about breastfeeding. Thank you for sharing. I’m so sorry you had to go through that, but it’s great that you had such amazing support (as well as time to work on it).
I have heard of those huge pads. Cannot even imagine having to wear them. Glad you’re feeling more like yourself and that everyone is happy and healthy!

Omg! I started reading your blog when I was 15, you were/are such an inspiration to me! I am 20 years old now,I lost track a couple of years ago and it just popped into my head to search oh she glows, I couldnt stop smiling and saying omg to all the cuteness of your new baby girl she is beautiful. Sending you and your family so much light and love!

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and struggles. I really appreciate your honesty about the highs and lows of new motherhood. I remember having all those same feelings when I had my first baby over 7 years ago (how is it possible? where did the time go?!). You’re right to really try to enjoy the precious newborn moments as much as you can. What I wouldn’t give to go back to my first few months of motherhood knowing what I know now, and really soaking it all in, enjoying it more and truly not sweating the small stuff. Luckily, I was able to enjoy #2 and #3 a lot more. ;-)

Thank you for being so open with your experience! I was dying at the monster pad part, lol.
My husband and I are hoping to start trying in the next year and if we (hopefully) succeed, I will definitely refer back to your baby posts for tips. So please keep the baby tab on your menu!! :)

Thanks for sharing Angela – sounds like you are doing amazing as a new mom – and having all the normal emotions/changes that come alone with it! I can relate to the breastfeeding challenges – I had tremendous trouble with it and mine never latched on (were premie too so various other issues)- I was incredibly sad about it. So happy you have that bonding time with her – enjoy the opportunity and sit and just BE with your precious little one.

The feeling of wanting to hold onto the ‘newborn’ stage never really ends ….each stage is so magical and amazing in its own way. I have multiples (and no others) so always knew whatever stage I was in, I would never be there again (as not having any more kids)…so I just treasured each stage – and then welcomed the new one knowing it would have its own beauty….even now with teenagers, I am loving it! :-)

I’m a newcomer to your blog (and healthy eating), and reading this made me so insanely happy (because your baby and I have the same name and I happen to love babies). I think that’s enough motivation in itself for me to continue on with the challenge of healthy eating. Thank you so much for this coincidence. (Funnily enough, my dad also called me a monkey as a kid!)

Congratulations! I Had breastfeesing issues after both pregnancies. After my first, I could NOT get her to wake up enough to eat. It took weeks, and I always had milk supply issues, but after about 2 months, things got easier. I still had to be careful to nurse on demand (my supply would drop fast if I wasn’t careful), but we kept at it until she was almost 15 months. The second time around I had twins, one with very serious medical issues, and breastfeeding didn’t work out the way I wanted it to, no matter how hard I fought for it. I remember having chills really bad for about 24 hours after my first. They only subsided when I was holding my baby. I remember that. They put her on my chest right after she was born, and after a bit they took her to weigh her and stuff, and my legs were just shaking uncontrollably bad. The doctor was still trying to stitch up my tear, and I think she was getting frustrated. When they handed me my daughter, I immediately stopped shaking. It was really weird! I don’t remember having that after the twins (also a vaginal delivery). Lastly, I remember being voraciously thirsty all the time. It never failed that the second I sat down to nurse my daughter that I would call to my husband to bring me a glass of water!

Congrats to you and your family!! Adriana is so beautiful and so blessed to have such wonderful, caring parents. I’m glad to hear you’re doing well and I can totally empathize with you on your breastgeeding struggles. I hope things are going better for you but if the latch or any part of nursing is still painful I’d recommend having your baby checked for a tongue tie or upper lip tie. I have three kids – 3, 19 months and 3 weeks old and ALL of them had a lip and tongue tie (posterior). Nursing was extremely painful and felt like they were chomping. With my first we had no prior knowledge of posterior tongue ties as they are apparently much harder to diagnosis so we went 3 agonizing months with many ups and downs until we got to the root cause. The LC’s in the hospital, drs and nurses all missed it but thankfully we got in touch with someone who specializes in babies with tongue ties and were able to have it corrected (laser procedure by Dr Kotlow in NY). Once we had the procedure done nursing was 100% pain free. I feel for people who struggle im silence with this issue because Unfortunateky there isn’t as much awareness or education surrounding the issue. Anyways, I hope that’s not the case with uou and your sweet girl but just wanted to mention it as
I had a woman from La Leche mention it to me and I’m so glad she did. Congrats again!!

WOO! Congratulations to both of you on the birth of your precious daughter! She’s absolutely beautiful, and I’m sure you will both make fantastic parents. Many, many best wishes to all three of you for a perfect future.

On a side note, her name is gorgeous and original. Nice work all around :)

Well done on persisting with breastfeeding! I had so many problems with latching to start with but we just kept on with it (with help from a lactation consultant too) and we got there in the end. You are doing an awesome job mama x

Congratulations! I loved reading all about your birth experience and life with a newborn. It did make me nostalgic for those first few precious days and weeks. Ours are now 4, 6 and 8 years old. I was also grateful that you wrote about yoru breastfeeding challenges. It was a struggle with our 1st, day 31 was when I remembered not crying with every feeding from pain. But worth it too–I ended up being able to donate a lot of milk through our National Milk Bank and breastfeeding all 3 kids until 15 months. I know it’s a personal decision of if and how long but for me, it worked. But it was a challenge.

I really enjoy your site! Especially the recipes. I wanted to share a little something that you may or may not have been told. As a woman and mom we tend to want to do it all. Feeding, diapers, clothes, baths, and holding. Let your husband to as much and more as he wants. Letting go feels so good. He can bond and get the good feelings of being a dad. Too many times it’s easy to forget that men don’t get do the things early in the baby’s life. Just a little present, because, it felt so good for me when my husband wanted to take the baby.

Hi there!
I just read your birth story and your first struggles and a new mama. You are doing great! As a mother of 3 I have seen and experienced all kinds of labors and nursing issues. The most important thing when it comes to breastfeeding is that you don’t give up :-) what seems like a full time job now nursing all day will soon change and before you know it you’ll be chasing a toddler around haha!
Don’t be afraid to ask for help, meet up with La Leche league in your area and to meet other nursing mamas :-) side laying position while sleeping/nursing is a great way to get some snooze yourself.
And remember, nursing is so much more than just food. Your precious baby wants to be close to you, because YOU are what she knows- your scent, your voice, your moves. So just keep doing what you’re doing :-)

Love the recipe on Yukon gold potatoes with avocado aioli- will make them tomorrow!!

just a short note I’ve just found your blog, fell in love with your recipes and now with you and your baby-what a lucky man your husband is! – and I just want to congratulate you on making you, your life and people around you so beautiful and happy:) what an excellent job
and a wonderful achievement! thanks from your -soon to be- cookbook owner:) and warmest regards from Holland!